While microplastics (MPs) in lakeshore sediments are widely reported, few studies have investigated distributions of MPs in surface sediments from lakeshores to the center of lakes. For the first time, data on the distribution of MPs in surface sediments from lakeshores to the center in a river bay, a lake bay, and a lake central area, which were influenced by river inflow, tourism, and minimal activity of humans, respectively around Qinghai Lake, the largest brackish lake in a remote area of the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau, China. Mean abundance of MPs in sediments of Qinghai Lake was 393±457 items/kg, dm, which on a global perspective was classified as moderate pollution with MPs. The river bay affected by the Heima River catchment had a mean abundance two-fold greater than both the lake bay affected by the Erlangjian scenic spot and the central area of the lake where activities of humans was considered to be minimal, indicating that the river catchment caused more pollution with MPs to Qinghai Lake, while sediments in the center of the lake were not a sink of MPs. MPs in sediments were dominated by transparent, fiber, 0.05~1 mm, and polypropylene. Spatial trends of MPs in sediments differed among areas of the lake, due to various mechanisms of transfer of MPs from lakeshores to the center of the lake, which were significantly related to wind, lake current, sedimentation rate, water- and sediment-properties, water depth, and proximity to land sources of MPs. Understanding, monitoring and preventing MP contamination transport and its influencing factors within different areas of a lake are crucial
